New Orleans Saints receiver Lance Moore was still visibly peeved when speaking to the media following practice Tuesday. And for good reason.

The Saints' defense, the unofficial "winner" of Saturday's scrimmage, came out on top again to end Tuesday's practice. And it was particularly frustrating for Moore, who was on the wrong end of two such plays.

The Saints finished practice with a simulated two-minute drill, something coach Sean Payton has made an effort to emphasis to the team. The defense concluded the drill with a sack, a batted down pass and an interception.

And Moore didn't take it lightly.

"When we don't win that drill, it leaves a sour taste in your mouth," Moore said. "We have to do whatever it takes to make sure that happens again."

On the first play of the drill, Saints safety Roman Harper read quarterback Drew Brees perfectly, picking off a pass intended for Moore and taking it back for a would-be touchdown.

A few plays later, with the first-team offense still battling the first-team defense, Brees went to Moore on fourth down. Moore made a diving attempt but couldn't hang on to the ball, ending practice with a nod to the defense.

"I expect to make those plays, and anytime I don't I'm upset," Moore said. "I'm upset right now."

On the other hand, it was all smiles for the defenders. At least for now.

Harper, who also had a sack during the drill, said he understands the real issue is translating those moments in practice into games. If they can't do that, they need to only look back to last year to realize the consequences.

"First half and second half of the game, somebody's always in two-minute mode," he said. "It's not often you have a team just sitting on a knee.

"In the games nowadays in the NFL, it's always fast pace, there's always somebody trying to play catch-up. The two-minute is a big emphasis, it's a big part of every game played this year."

For a defense that allowed an NFL-worst 7,042 yards last season, finishing games has become just one of many problems the Saints are working to fix. But an offense that was constantly playing catch-up last season hasn't taken it lightly, either.

Last season, the Saints were outscored 129-96 in the fourth quarter. And several times -- against the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants -- the offense didn't score at all in the fourth quarter.

In contrast, the Saints' defense had only three fourth-quarter shutouts.

Needless to say, finishing has been a key focus for both sides of the ball.

"It's something we felt we didn't do too well last year and in a lot of our games we lost a lot of close games at the end of the game," said linebacker Will Smith. "This time we are going to focus on finishing. ...

"The defense stepped up, and I'm sure next time we do it our offense will be a lot better."

Offensively, the Saints were the second best red-zone team in the league last season, scoring touchdowns 68.4 percent of the time. But they weren't able to get in the red zone at the crucial moments.

Last season, Brees ranked 26th in fourth-quarter passing, completing 57.5 percent of his passes for 1,277 yards, six interceptions and seven touchdowns. However, he was often forced to throw at that point as the Saints were constantly behind.

Some Saints players are adamant last season was just a strange blip on the radar. And with Payton back, it might be the different. Payton called a number of players personally to lay out his expectations for the season.

"The meeting and conversation was very serious," said tight end Jimmy Graham. "Talking about his expectations for me and the things that I need to correct from last year, how he is ready to be back and he is ready to see my growth even more."

But this early in training camp, the Saints still have a ways to go to reach that potential.

"I thought defensively we did really well in the two minute with the two stops by the first group," Payton said. "I thought, much like a lot of training camps, it kind of goes back and forth.

"I think the consistency is something that we are lacking right now."

The preseason is still so young players admit it won't feel like a true game week for a long time, even with the Kansas City Chiefs coming to town for the preseason opener Friday. So frustrating or not, the "winner" of the day doesn't yet mean much, save for a chance to correct mistakes.

"It is good for us," Graham said. "It challenges us in many ways. Sometimes, they get the better of us, and sometimes we get the better of them."

Added Brees: "Yeah, it's back and forth at times. You love that competitiveness; it's what makes us all better.

"You try and create as much of a game-like scenario as you can. That way, once you do get into a game, there is a comfort level that you've been there."